Side flail mower

ABSTRACT

Outrigger is longitudinally hinged at inner edge to tractor and at outer edge to ground-supported cutter unit. Outrigger positions cutter as far to side of tractor as tractor wheels or beyond. Outrigger hydraulic cylinder connects outrigger to tractor to swing outrigger up and down, about inner hinge axis, thereby to raise and lower outer hinge axis to adapt cutter to terrain. Cutter hydraulic cylinder connects cutter to tractor at inner hinge axis to swing cutter up and down about outer hinge axis without preventing independent operation of outrigger cylinder. Cutter can be swung up to near vertical position with cutter cylinder and then hook on cutter can be dropped into eye on tractor by lowering outrigger with outrigger cylinder, thereby mechanically locking cutter in elevated position. Cutter is of flail type and is powered from front end of tractor crankshaft through a drive train. Inner end of flail shaft is above inner hinge axis by radial distance from shaft to cutter at end of flail, thereby to maintain inner edge of swath cut by cutter unit fixed at outer edge of outrigger regardless of angle of cutter to horizontal.

United States Patent C lapsaddle, Jr.

[ Mar. 7, 1972 [54] SIDE FLAIL MOWER Primary ExaminerRobert Peshock [72]Inventor: George Sheri Clapsaddle, Jr., c/o Clapsad- Assistant Examinerj N Eskovitz 33 and Sen/Ices whmen Iowa Attorney-Murray Robinson, Ned L.Conley, Robert W. B.

Dickerson and Bill B. Berryhill [22] Filed: Mar. 17, 1970 5 [2]] Appl.No.: 20,251 7] ABSTRACT Outrigger is longitudinally hinged at inner edgeto tractor and at outer edge to ground-supported cutter unit. Outriggerposi- UoS. u56/7, ions cutter as far to side of tractor as tractorwheels or Ill!- Clbeyond Outrigger hydraulic cylinder connects outriggerto [58] Field of Search ..56/6, 7, 13.6, 12.7, 15.1, or to swingoutrigger up and down, about inner hinge 15-3, axis, thereby to raiseand lower outer hinge axis to adapt cutter to terrain. Cutter hydrauliccylinder connects cutter to [56] References Cited tractor at inner hingeaxis to swing cutter up and down about outer hinge axis withoutpreventing independent operation of UNITED STATES PATENTS outriggercylinder. Cutter can be swung up to near vertical 3,177,638 4/1965Johnson ..56/7 Position with cutter cylinder and can be 2,168,706 8/1939George et a1. ..56/7 dropped into y n tractor by lowering outrigger with2,677,224 /1954 Stegeman 56/7 outrigger cylinder, thereby mechanicallylocking cutter in 2,952,109 9/1960 Lambenm 56/116 elevated position.Cutter is of flail type and is powered from 2,299,859 10/1942 Speiser..56/7 fmmend ftractrcrankshamhrugh lnneend 3,092,053 6/1963Kirkpatrick. "56/153 X of flail shaft is above inner hinge axis byradial distance from 3 422 610 1/1969 wethere I 56/13 6 X shaft tocutter at end of flail, thereby to maintain inner edge of swath cut bycutter unit fixed at outer edge of outrigger re- FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS gardless of angle of cutter to horizontal.

981,783 l/l965 Great Britain ..56/1 2.7 9 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures v P-/i L" 1 Q? P f Q, 200 2 f 27 Z v si 32 as r l 31* f .94 0 O Q t L t f 0/1;, r i -411 91. I. L.. YT 1.202 I /X/ .&* I1 l J )2 7" /Z //0 //j .2052% /5 .202 J PATENTED R 7 I972 SHEET 3 [IF 4 sum FLAIL MOWER BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION a. Field of the Invention This invention relates tomowers and especially to such mowers as may be used for cutting grassand weeds adjacent highways. In particular it relates to side mowerattachments for tractors.

b. Description of the prior Art It is known to attach movers to therear, front, and sides of tractors. Sometimes the cutting elements ofthe mowers are actuated by the turning of the wheels which support themowers as same are moved over the terrain and sometimes the cuttingelements are powered by connection to a separate motor or connectedthrough a suitable drive train to a power take off shaft driven by atractor engine. Various problems are experienced to which the presentinvention addresses itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS For a description of a preferredembodiment of the invention reference will now be made to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tractor with flail-type mowers attached tothe sides thereof in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of a tractor with front and rear mowersas well as side mowers;

FIGS. 2A and 2B, together hereinafter sometimes referred to as FIG. 2,form a horizontal section taken at plane 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken at plane 33 of FIG. 28;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, together hereinafter sometimes referred to as FIG. 4,form a vertical section taken at plane 44 of FIG. 2; and 5 FIG. Sis aplan view taken at plane 5-5 of FIG. 4C.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1, 1A, 2B,and 4C, there is shown a tractor (FIG. 1) having rear wheels 11 andfront wheels 12. Beneath the front end of the engine 13 is bolted amounting plate 14. Extending beneath the tractor body there is amounting channel 15 which is bolted to the body. Bolted to the chan nelare sideplates 16, 17. A top plate 18 is bolted to the sideplates.Gussets 19, 20 reinforce the mounting frame formed by the channel,sideplates and top plate. The mounting frame may also include a bottomplate 21 extending along under channel 15 and welded or bolted thereto.

As shown in FIG. 1A, conventionally mounted and/or driven cutters 24, 25may be connected to the tractor at the front and rear to the tractor,each cutter including adjustable height rotatable ground support meanssuch as a roller and a mowing means, e.g., of the rotary flail type,driven from the front and rear power takeoffs of the tractor.

At each side of the tractor hingedly connected to the mounting frame areOutriggers (see FIGS. 25 and 4C) to the outer edges of which arehingedly connected cutters 32, 33, cutter 32 being shown in FIG. 1 inposition for mowing (horizontal) and cutter 33 being shown elevated(vertical) in locked position as adapted for highway travel.

Referring now especially to FIGS. 28 and 4C each outrigger includes apair of front and back channels 41, 42 connected together by plate 43. Atube 45 at the inner edge of the outrigger is rotatably mounted onpivots 46, 47 carried by the mounting frame, providing inner hinge meanspivotally connecting the inner edge of the outrigger to the tractor.

A channel 50 fastened to the inner edge of the cutter 32 is rotatablymounted on pivot pins 52, 53 secured to the outrigger at the outer edgethereof providing outer hinge means pivotally connecting the inner endof the cutter to the outer edge of the outrigger.

Hydraulic power means for swinging each outrigger up and down about theaxis of the hinge connection to the tractor is provided by a hydrauliccylinder 60 pivotally connected at one end to the mounting frame at 61,thereby connecting it to the tractor, and pivotally connected at theother end at 62 to the outrigger.

Hydraulic power means for swinging each cutter up and down about theaxis of its hinge connection to the outrigger is provided by a hydrauliccylinder 70 pivotally connected at one end to the cutter at 71 and atits other end pivotally connected at 72 to arm 73 fixed to tube 45.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, each cutter includes a frame comprisinga pair of bars 80, 81 fastened at their inner ends to channel 50 and attheir outer ends to plate 83. A downwardly curved plate 84 extendsbetween bars 80, 81. On top of plate 84 is secured a pin 85 providinghook means for engaging a socket or eye 86 (FIG. 4C and FIG. 5) in thetop plate 86 of the mounting frame when the cutter is elevated tovertical position and then dropped into locked travel position as shownat the right of FIG. 1.

To move the cutter from the mowing position shown at the left of FIG. 1to the travel position sown at the right of FIG. 1, the outer end of thecutter follows the path indicated by the dashed line 90 in FIGS. 4A, 4B,4C, the edge moving through an are as the hydraulic cylinder 70 isactuated to swing the cutter up about the outer hinge connection of theoutrigger, and then moving up as indicated by arrow 91 when theoutrigger is swung up about its inner hinge axis by hydraulic cylinder60. The cutter is then swung in as indicated at 92, either manually orwith the aid of hydraulic cylinder 70 until the pin 85 overlies socket86. The cutter is then dropped as indicated at 93 by operating hydrauliccylinder 60 until pin 85 is in socket 86. A reverse sequence ofoperations is used to unlock the cutter and move it to the mowingposition.

In the mowing position either or both of hydraulic cylinders 60, 70 maybe set to be free floating, that is, not to have any set position,whereby the cutter can follow the terrain as dictated by rotatablymounted ground support means such as roller 95 rotatably mounted at therear lower edge of the cutter at an adjustable height.

The hydraulic lines to the hydraulic cylinders are conventional andhence are now shown. They may be powered from the usual hydraulic powertakeoff from the tractor or from a separately driven hydraulic unit. Thevalves 98, 99 for controlling the cylinders may be mounted on top plate18 of the mounting frame in boxes 100, 101 provided for that purpose.

Each cutter includes a shaft to which are connected, e.g., by eyes 111,a plurality of flails, each flail including a chain link or clevis 112carrying one or more knives 113 at its outer end. Shaft 110 is rotatablymounted in bearing means at its outer end and in bearing means 121 atits inner end,

the latter being a part of chain housing 122 (FIGS. 23 and 3),

which is part of the drive train by which the cutter is powered torotate shaft 110. As best shown in FIG. 4C, the inner end of shaft 110is spaced above the axis of the hinged connection of the cutter to theoutrigger defined by pivot pins 53, 52 sufficiently so that when thecutter is horizontal, innermost flail 113 is at the same level as theaxis of pin 53. This maintains the edge of the swath cut by the fails ina straight line despite rise and fall of the outer edge of the cutter.This is desirable in itself and also insures that the swath thus cutwill overlap that cut by the medially mounted front and/or rear cutters24, 25.

The drive train for shaft 110 starts at the front end of the tractor andincludes common pulley 200 (FIG. 1) which is connected to the tractormotor crankshaft. Pulley 200 is connected by belts 201 to drive pulleys202 at the right and left sides of the tractor. Each pulley 202 ismounted on an arm 203 pivotally connected at one end at 204 to thechannel 15 of the mower mounting frame, and pivotally connected at itsother end at 206 to one end of a hydraulic cylinder 207 whose other endis pivotally connected at 208 to the front plate 14 of the mowermounting frame. There is thus provided hydraulic means for tighteningand loosening belts 201 whereby the power drive to the cutter shafts 110can be activated and deactivated as desired. The hydraulic cylinder 207is preferably connected to the same hydraulic source (not shown) as arehydraulic cylinders 60 and 70 and controlled by a similar valve placedin one of the boxes 100, 101 in the top mounting plate 18.

Each pulley 202 drives a shaft 220 which by a universal joint 22] drivesan angled shaft 222 extending rearwardly to the side of the tractor. Auniversal joint 223 connects shaft 222 to a shaft 224 which throughchain and sprocket means 225 drives the input to right angle gearbox226. The output of the gearbox drives chain and sprocket means 122 whichis con- 1 nected to shaft 110.

it will be apparent that attachment means has been provided forconnecting side cutters of the flail type to a tractor which may be ofany conventional type. By slight adaptations of the mounting frame, theinvention is adaptable to a variety of types of tractors. Also, theinvention is applicable as original equipment to tractor-powered mowersin which case the mower mounting means may be part of the tractor, andin the following claims where reference is made to tractor-supportedmower mounting means such expression is to be understood to include botha mower mounting means that is bolted or otherwise attached to a tractorand also a mower mounting means that forms part of the tractor asoriginally manufactured.

Although in the drawings the cutter has been illustrated to be movablebetween horizontal and vertical positions, the cutter is actually sohinged that it can move to lowered positions considerably below thehorizontal. Also, the cutter need not be in a vertical position when itis mechanically locked in elevated position, although such is preferred.The outrigger can also move up and down below a horizontal position.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, variousmodifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

l. Mowing apparatus comprising:

mower mounting means adapted for support by a tractor and providingmeans for mounting an outrigger at the side of such tractor, consideringthe fore and aft axis of a tractor as exemplifying longitudinaldirections and horizontal lines perpendicular thereto as definingtransverse directions extending from side to side of the tractor,

a cutter including mowing means and rotatable ground support means forsupporting the mowing means,

an outrigger longitudinally hinged adjacent its inner edge to saidmounting means at the side thereof and longitudinally hinged adjacentits outer edge to adjacent the inner end ofsaid cutter,

said mowing means including a rotatably mounted shaft on which ismounted a plurality offlails, and

power means to rotate said shaft.

the axis about which said cutter is hinged to said outrigger beingspaced below the axis of said shaft a distance of the order of thedistance from the axis of said shaft to the tip of one of said fiails,whereby the inner edge of the swath cut by the mowing means is fixed atthe outer edge of the outrigger regardless of the angle of the cutter tothe outrigger.

2. Mowing apparatus comprising:

mower mounting means adapted for support by a tractor and providingmeans for mounting an outrigger at the side of such tractor, consideringthe fore and aft axis of a tractor as exemplifying longitudinaldirections and horizontal lines perpendicular thereto as definingtransverse directions extending from side to side of the tractor,

a cutter including mowing means and rotatable ground support means forsupporting the mowing means,

an outrigger longitudinally hinged adjacent its inner edge to saidmounting means at the side thereof and longitudinally hinged adjacentits outer edge to adjacent the inner end ofsaid cutter, and drive trainmeans to connect said mowing means, to power means on such tractor foroperating said mower means;

said drive train means including an element whose axis of rotation iscoaxial with the axis about which said cutter is hinged to saidoutrigger, whereby said cutter can swing up and down about the axis ofits hinged connection to said outrigger without interfering with theoperation of said drive train means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said drive train meansincludes rotating means carried by said outrigger eccentric to the axisabout which said outrigger is hinged to said mounting means, and

universal joint means for connecting said rotating means to a front-endpower takeoff from such tractor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said drive train means furtherincludes said tractor having a front-end tractor power takeoff,

a pulley on said takeoff,

a second pulley mounted on an ann pivotally connected to said mountingmeans,

a belt connected to said pulleys, and

a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected at one end to said arm and atanother end to said mounting means.

5. Mowing apparatus comprising:

mower mounting means adapted for support by a tractor and providingmeans for mounting an outrigger at the side of such tractor, consideringthe fore and aft axis of a tractor as exemplifying longitudinaldirections and horizontal lines perpendicular thereto as definingtransverse directions extending from side to side of the tractor,

a cutter including mowing means and rotatable ground support means forsupporting the mowing means,

an outrigger longitudinally hinged adjacent its inner edge to saidmounting means at the side thereof and longitudinally hinged adjacentits outer edge to adjacent the inner end ofsaid cutter,

drive train means to connect said mowing means to power means foroperating said mower means; and power means interconnecting said cutterwith a part of the apparatus that is coaxial with the axis about whichsaid outrigger is hinged to said mounting means for swinging said cutterrelative to the axis about which said cutter is hinged to said outriggerwithout swinging the outrigger relative to the axis about which it ishinged to said mounting means. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5including power means interconnecting said outrigger with said mountingmeans for swinging said outrigger about the axis relative to which it ishinged to said mounting means. 7. Apparatus according to claim 5 whereinthe last said power means comprises first hydraulic cylinder means, saidapparatus further including second hydraulic cylinder means pivotallyconnected to said outrigger and said mounting means for swinging saidoutrigger relative to the axis about which it is hinged to said mountingmeans.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 including pin and socket means carriedby said cutter and mounting means interengageable when said cutter is ina vertical position with the pin and socket aligned, beinginterengageable by lowering said outrigger with said second hydrauliccylinder means, thereby to lock said cutter in vertical position. 9.Mowing apparatus comprising: mower mounting means adapted for support bya tractor and providing means for mounting an outrigger at the side ofsuch tractor, considering the fore and aft axis of a tractor asexemplifying longitudinal directions and horizontal lines perpendicularthereto as defining transverse directions extending from side to sideofthe tractor, a cutter including mowing means and rotatable groundsupport means for supporting the mowing means, an outriggerlongitudinally hinged adjacent its inner edge to said mounting means atthe side thereof and longitudinally hingedadjacent its outer edge toadjacent the inner end of said cutter,

to said mounting means whereby when said cutter is in such substantiallyvertical position it can be substantially translated up and down byactuation of the second hydraulic cylinder means, and

mechanical means carried by said apparatus interengageable by downwardtranslation of said cutter by means of said second hydraulic means whensaid cutter is in such substantially vertical position to lock saidcutter against accidentally swinging out of elevated position.

1. Mowing apparatus comprising: mower mounting means adapted for supportby a tractor and providing mEans for mounting an outrigger at the sideof such tractor, considering the fore and aft axis of a tractor asexemplifying longitudinal directions and horizontal lines perpendicularthereto as defining transverse directions extending from side to side ofthe tractor, a cutter including mowing means and rotatable groundsupport means for supporting the mowing means, an outriggerlongitudinally hinged adjacent its inner edge to said mounting means atthe side thereof and longitudinally hinged adjacent its outer edge toadjacent the inner end of said cutter, said mowing means including arotatably mounted shaft on which is mounted a plurality of flails, andpower means to rotate said shaft. the axis about which said cutter ishinged to said outrigger being spaced below the axis of said shaft adistance of the order of the distance from the axis of said shaft to thetip of one of said flails, whereby the inner edge of the swath cut bythe mowing means is fixed at the outer edge of the outrigger regardlessof the angle of the cutter to the outrigger.
 2. Mowing apparatuscomprising: mower mounting means adapted for support by a tractor andproviding means for mounting an outrigger at the side of such tractor,considering the fore and aft axis of a tractor as exemplifyinglongitudinal directions and horizontal lines perpendicular thereto asdefining transverse directions extending from side to side of thetractor, a cutter including mowing means and rotatable ground supportmeans for supporting the mowing means, an outrigger longitudinallyhinged adjacent its inner edge to said mounting means at the sidethereof and longitudinally hinged adjacent its outer edge to adjacentthe inner end of said cutter, and drive train means to connect saidmowing means to power means on such tractor for operating said mowermeans; said drive train means including an element whose axis ofrotation is coaxial with the axis about which said cutter is hinged tosaid outrigger, whereby said cutter can swing up and down about the axisof its hinged connection to said outrigger without interfering with theoperation of said drive train means.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2wherein said drive train means includes rotating means carried by saidoutrigger eccentric to the axis about which said outrigger is hinged tosaid mounting means, and universal joint means for connecting saidrotating means to a front-end power takeoff from such tractor. 4.Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said drive train means furtherincludes said tractor having a front-end tractor power takeoff, a pulleyon said takeoff, a second pulley mounted on an arm pivotally connectedto said mounting means, a belt connected to said pulleys, and ahydraulic cylinder pivotally connected at one end to said arm and atanother end to said mounting means.
 5. Mowing apparatus comprising:mower mounting means adapted for support by a tractor and providingmeans for mounting an outrigger at the side of such tractor, consideringthe fore and aft axis of a tractor as exemplifying longitudinaldirections and horizontal lines perpendicular thereto as definingtransverse directions extending from side to side of the tractor, acutter including mowing means and rotatable ground support means forsupporting the mowing means, an outrigger longitudinally hinged adjacentits inner edge to said mounting means at the side thereof andlongitudinally hinged adjacent its outer edge to adjacent the inner endof said cutter, drive train means to connect said mowing means to powermeans for operating said mower means; and power means interconnectingsaid cutter with a part of the apparatus that is coaxial with the axisabout which said outrigger is hinged to said mounting means for swingingsaid cutter relative to the axis about which said cutter is hinged tosaid outrigger without swinging the outrigger relative to the axis aboutwhiCh it is hinged to said mounting means.
 6. Apparatus according toclaim 5 including power means interconnecting said outrigger with saidmounting means for swinging said outrigger about the axis relative towhich it is hinged to said mounting means.
 7. Apparatus according toclaim 5 wherein the last said power means comprises first hydrauliccylinder means, said apparatus further including second hydrauliccylinder means pivotally connected to said outrigger and said mountingmeans for swinging said outrigger relative to the axis about which it ishinged to said mounting means.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7including pin and socket means carried by said cutter and mounting meansinterengageable when said cutter is in a vertical position with the pinand socket aligned, being interengageable by lowering said outriggerwith said second hydraulic cylinder means, thereby to lock said cutterin vertical position.
 9. Mowing apparatus comprising: mower mountingmeans adapted for support by a tractor and providing means for mountingan outrigger at the side of such tractor, considering the fore and aftaxis of a tractor as exemplifying longitudinal directions and horizontallines perpendicular thereto as defining transverse directions extendingfrom side to side of the tractor, a cutter including mowing means androtatable ground support means for supporting the mowing means, anoutrigger longitudinally hinged adjacent its inner edge to said mountingmeans at the side thereof and longitudinally hinged adjacent its outeredge to adjacent the inner end of said cutter, drive train means toconnect said, mowing means to power means for operating said mowingmeans, and hydraulic cylinder means pivotally connected to said cutterand pivotal relative to said mower mounting means for swinging saidcutter relative to the axis about which it is hinged to said outriggerwhereby the cutter can be moved to a substantially vertical position,second hydraulic cylinder means pivotally connected to said outriggerand said mower mounting means for swinging said outrigger relative tothe axis about which it is hinged to said mounting means whereby whensaid cutter is in such substantially vertical position it can besubstantially translated up and down by actuation of the secondhydraulic cylinder means, and mechanical means carried by said apparatusinterengageable by downward translation of said cutter by means of saidsecond hydraulic means when said cutter is in such substantiallyvertical position to lock said cutter against accidentally swinging outof elevated position.